September 07, 2013

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said one of the benefits of adding
Brian Waters is that it makes backups of Mackenzy Bernadeau and Phil Costa.

“He solidifies so much in our numbers,” Jones said Friday on
his radio show on KRLD 105.3 FM The Fan. “He takes starters for us in Bernadeau
and even Costa – who has started – and he potentially has them backing up in
key roles. For instance, we only take seven offensive linemen to the game.
That’s the proper amount to dress out relative to the numbers we need on the 45
we dress out. With that in mind, he makes Bernadeau and Costa, who have started
for us over the last two or three years at different times – Bernadeau a lot –
he makes them backups. So we’ve got some people who have started as backups.”

Jones said Waters made a difference throughout the offensive
line.

“We have front line solidified in there by the play of Frederick over the
preseason, as well as how Leary has come, and then of course, gives us a great
situation at right tackle with Free and Parnell,” Jones said. “So frankly, it
was a serious component to really solidifying that offensive line.”

Jones said the Cowboys’ pursuit of Waters never really did
die, although he acknowledged there might have been an effect from the Cowboys’
trying Doug Free at guard.

“We didn’t change our situation in the offensive line at all
between the time we earlier started talking, or earlier had a dormant spell,
whatever you want to call it,” Jones said. “We didn’t change that. The
situation remained the same. We got a look at Free that could have impacted it
to some degree, because we now know Free’s got a chance at guard. And so
someone would have said, ‘Well, does that make Waters a little less needed?’ It
didn’t. It shouldn’t.”